Before The Dawn
by Cymoril Avalon
Summary: Atemu had been unable to forget, unable to let go, which was what caused him to linger here between life and death, between the beginning and the end…AU, end of series spoilers,pairings inside.


Pairing: Atemu/Yuugi/Anzu

Rating: PG-13

Notes: Another request fic from Daimeryan Rei. She wanted fluff, and so she got fluff. This is not my normal style, but I think it turned out all right. Do read and review.

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Atemu watched the world through the tiny mirror, watched everything he had once known slowly fall into dust – figuratively speaking, of course – and, for the billionth time, hated being dead, regretted his final decision after the duel to walk through that doorway and leave everything behind. 

He watched his aibou go through the same routine day after day: wake up, brush teeth, shower, go to school, hang out with friends, work at the Game Shop, do homework, eat dinner, go to sleep. The same thing, day after day, week after week, until Atemu had almost lost track of how long he had been watching.

Years passed before his eyes. Yuugi graduated high school, went on to university with his friends, occasionally dated and had his heart broken, broke hearts in return, graduated with honors, got a job, moved on with his life.

That was what stung the most. Atemu had been unable to forget, unable to let go, which was what caused him to linger here between life and death, between the beginning and the end, and yet it seemed Yuugi had done just that. It was hard to tell, now that he no longer shared a soul with the boy, but all outward signs pointed to Yuugi having moved on.

In a way, it was what Atemu wanted. After all, he'd known since he discovered that he lived 3,000 years in the past that his time in the modern era was temporary, grains of sand slowly slipping past his fingertips, never knowing when they would run out. It had all crashed down on him that day at the museum, staring at the ancient stone and seeing himself there, tantalizing glimmers of memory brushing at the edge of his mind. Anzu has been with him, had done nothing but support him despite the obvious pain in her eyes.

He hadn't wanted to acknowledge her feelings. He'd managed to make it clear that he didn't know how long he'd be able to stay with them, nothing but a parasite in Yuugi's body, without making it obvious that he was rejecting her before she could make any advances. Logically, he'd had nothing to offer her but an empty shell, devoid of even the most basic of memories. Logically, he knew she'd have accepted it anyway.

For once, he should have followed his feelings rather than his head. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, hadn't wanted to share with her memories that would just wither and fade, locked away forever in the darkest recesses of her heart. Loving and leaving _hurt_, and he had wanted to spare her that pain, no matter how selfishly he had wanted to take her in his arms.

Yuugi had known. He'd never been able to hide anything from Yuugi. Despite his own crush on the girl, he'd pushed Atemu to say something, to do something, anything, perhaps in his own way living vicariously through the Pharaoh. Yuugi never thought he could compete against his other half; in his mind, Anzu had already chosen, and being the selfless creature he was, he tried to make everything right for the two of them for whatever short amount of time they would have together. Perhaps a darker piece of Yuugi hoped he could help pick up the shattered pieces of Anzu's heart and finally make her his.

Another regret to add to his list. He'd always been open with Yuugi, made sure the boy knew how much he meant to the Pharaoh, but not one word had been said to Anzu. Head clouded by his goals and with the dangers presented around every corner, he'd never even thought to reassure her, never thought to thank her for always standing by his side.

Now it was too late.

Again, as he did almost every time he looked in the mirror, he considered breaking it. Whose idea of torture had it been to create such a thing, to let him watch a world he could have interacted with had things gone differently, constantly on the outside looking in? When he touched the smooth, cool glass, he could almost feel the softness of Yuugi's skin, the silkiness of Anzu's hair; when he pressed close, he could almost smell the scents of the city, so wild and tangled, hear the sounds of traffic and pedestrians. The mirror was one giant tease, the one thing anchoring him in this strange place, unable to pass through entirely one way or the other.

It was bittersweet, this feeling of being unable to let go. He'd never wanted Yuugi to suffer, but he still wanted to be remembered, whether those memories brought pain or happiness. However, never in a million years would Atemu wish this sort of torment on his other half. The pain, the anguish of watching, of being unable to affect the present, of knowing what he had given up; sometimes, it was just too much. So while he wept silent tears at his aibou's gradual acceptance and the ease with which he managed to moved on, Atemu felt relieved he had caused no lingering pain.

A few more years passed, and Yuugi and Anzu were dating. It was a match any of their friends could have predicted back when they were in high school, but it had taken them both so long to come to terms with it that Jounouchi had nearly locked them in a room together to force them to get it over with. It seemed strangely fitting, in a way, that the two who cared for the Pharaoh the most would gravitate towards each other for comfort, for love, for acceptance. They had each gone through the same experiences, had each deeply loved the same person, and in each other, they could remember and uphold each and every precious memory.

Fists clenching, Atemu turned away.

"I should have…" His voice trailed off. There were so many should have's buried in his heart that he couldn't bring just one to roll off his tongue. If he tried, they would all tumble out, tripping over each other and overflowing onto the ground.

"You should have what?" an amused voice shot back from behind him.

The Pharaoh spun, his earrings clicking, to face an indistinct figure standing near the edge of the platform, somehow neither male nor female, and yet…human.

"Who are you?"

"Don't you know?" Though the tone was sardonic, there was an underlying kindness to the words.

"Should I?"

"Don't you know it's rude to answer a question with a question?"

Atemu twitched, but otherwise did not respond.

The silence stretched, until finally the figure spoke again.

"I can send you there. I can give you what you've been longing for all these years. All your worries, all your regrets – you will have the chance to fix them."

"You would do that for me?"

The figure nodded, looking even more amused.

"…why?"

"Because I know what it's like to look and wish." The expression on the figure's face – so normal, so unremarkable, that Atemu's eyes would have slid right past it in a crowd – darkened for a moment. "Because I don't want anyone else to suffer as I have suffered."

"I don't know how I'd repay you…"

"By being happy." The figure's expression melted back into fond amusement. "That is all I will ask in return."

The Pharaoh hesitated, still feeling suspicious.

"You will only get one offer, Atemu. Don't turn it down."

"How would it work?"

"Your emotions have kept you chained here." The figure crossed its arms, regarding the Pharaoh, dark eyes serious. "Surely you feel it, the ties stretching in two directions – one towards your friends, one towards your Priests and your father. All you need to do is snip one of them, and you'll be drawn to the other. Instead of choosing, you have lingered here, continually putting off the decision."

"I didn't even know I had that choice," Atemu replied, though now that the figure pointed it out, he could feel the chains, so heavy and binding. Strange, how some things only became noticeable when an outside party pointed them out.

"You do. And now is the time to make it. Choose, Atemu, where your fate lies."

The figure stretched out a hand and a doorway appeared on the other end of the platform, directly opposite the mirror. Instinctively, Atemu knew that one led to the afterlife, where he would find his father and his Priests and everyone else he had ever known in Ancient Egypt; the other led to Japan, to his friends and the two people he loved more than life itself.

"How long will I have?"

"How long do you want? I can give you a day, a week…the rest of your life…"

Atemu looked between the two options, childishly hating the figure for thrusting this upon him so soon, with no warning or preparation, ignoring the fact that he had stood there for years watching time pass by and his friends grow up. He'd even toyed briefly with a similar situation as this, given a choice to go back, dreaming about the things he would do, the things he would say. Now that it was right in front of him, however, Atemu felt an unfamiliar emotion.

Fear.

No matter what he had faced in the past – that first Shadow Game against Pegasus, when he'd had to fight against a man who could read his mind; the duel against Noa to free himself and his friends from eternal bondage in a virtual world; the last, grueling battle against Malik's darker personality, knowing that the very world lay in the balance; facing Dartz, almost too aware of the consequences the world would face if he lost – he had never felt fear. His nerves had been drawn as tight as a bow, unease trickling down his spine like sweat, but fear had never reared its ugly head. He had been too focused, too determined, too much had been riding on his shoulders to allow such a negative emotions to take hold.

Now, however, with nothing but himself at stake, he was scared.

"They cannot wait forever."

His eyes flickered back towards the mirror, watching Yuugi and Anzu cuddling on the couch, laughing and watching each other with adoration. Time flowed differently here, and the longer he hesitated, the more likely he would have no choice left at all.

Closing his eyes, Atemu took a deep breath and chose.

The movie wasn't altogether interesting. It had the usual, generic romantic storyline – girl meets guy at party, they hook up, then lose track of each other for a few years until they meet again, girl is engaged, boy wants girl – nothing that took any sort of concentration or brain power to really follow along with. Besides, Anzu had far more important things to concentrate on, such as her boyfriend and where his naughty hand was traveling.

"Yuugi!" she gasped, giggling and squirming and doing absolutely nothing to try to get away from him.

"Yes?" he murmured, lips brushing gently against her neck. His hand continued its trail up her side, her shirt gathering around his wrist.

"The movie…" Her protest was half-hearted; she didn't really care about the movie, and she knew he didn't either.

"Mmhmm," he replied amiably, nipping gently at her fluttering pulse.

Anzu giggled again, then swatted at him playfully. "Cut it out, Yuugi! It's late and I rented this movie just for us, and you said we'd have a nice quiet night together, and this movie really is interesting…"

Yuugi decided that he didn't like hearing her babble anymore, so he quieted her protestations with a soft kiss. It worked just as well as he'd expected, and she soon became more pliant in his arms, as warm and soft as she had been the first time he'd held her.

When they finally pulled away, they were both flushed and breathing heavy, a giddy brightness in their eyes. Yuugi gently traced Anzu's cheek, over her jaw, his touch gentle and adoring.

"I love you," he said with a smile, looking like the happiest man in the world.

"I love you too, Yuugi," Anzu replied, leaning in and giving him another brief kiss. "But I do think we should finish watching the movie. It's so…well-written, and…it's Friday, and we can stay up late, and the movie is so…"

"Boring?" Yuugi laughed, eyes flickering over to the television set, before he snatched the remote and turned the movie off, letting the silence settle over them.

"That was mean. You probably hurt its feelings."

Yuugi's eyes went wide. "You're right, Anzu! I'm such a horrible monster! Oh, how shall I ever live with myself?"

Anzu would have responded, likely with something either scathing or witty – or possibly both – but she was interrupted by a knock on their door. Feeling surprised – who would be visiting at such an hour, especially without calling? – she shot Yuugi a questioning look. In response, he shook his head; he didn't know who it was either.

"I'll answer it," he said brightly, untangling himself from her limbs and standing up, stretching. He laughed when Anzu reached over and poked him in the side, capturing her lips for another kiss before walking over to the door, opening it.

Silence again.

"Mou hitori no boku?" Yuugi's voice was strangled, eyes as wide as they would go.

"Aibou…it's been a long time…"

"How…?"

"Yuugi, who is it?"

Yuugi glanced over his shoulder, back towards the living room, raising his voice a little. "It's…come see, Anzu."

Growing more and more curious, Anzu rose from the couch, not bothering to smooth out her skirt or fix her hair. If someone was going to be rude enough to show up at such an odd hour, they could live with her looking less than perfect. As soon as she passed through the doorway into the hallway, however, eyes locking on their visitor, her heart gave a lurch, and she regretted not fixing herself up a little.

"Atemu…"

A warm smile graced his face. "Anzu. It's nice to see both of you again."

"But how…?"

Yuugi, finally remembering his manners, stepped back, allowing Atemu to enter the apartment and close the door behind him. The Pharaoh took his time in answering, allowing his gaze to sweep along the hallway, taking in whatever he could see as if savoring every glance. His eyes then focused on the couple.

"I cannot tell you that, but…I came back. For you."

"For…?"

"Both of you."

Tears filled Yuugi's eyes, and he abruptly threw his arms around the Pharaoh, hugging him tightly as if never wanting to let go. "We've both missed you so much," he mumbled against the Pharaoh's linen shirt, his tears soaking into the fabric. "It was so hard…"

Atemu did not get a chance to soothe him before Anzu joined in, arms wrapping around both of them. Closing his eyes, the Pharaoh relished being entangled with them, knowing that not only was he finally with them, but that they had apparently missed him just as much as he missed them. It was so much better than watching through the mirror, able to touch only the cool glass, feel its smooth, unyielding surface, unable to speak to them or touch them or be with them. He was no longer so alone, no longer trapped in that curious in-between place. His heart swelled with a variety of emotions: pride, love, anxiety, satisfaction, contentment. If he could have chosen his own eternity, this would have been a part of it.

Perhaps, in a way, that was what he had chosen.

"There is so much I want to say…"

"No." Yuugi's voice was uncharacteristically firm. Raising his head, staring intently at his other self, the one who had shared his mind and soul and body, the one he loved as much as he loved Anzu, he continued, "No. There will be plenty of time for that, now that you're here. I…there's so much we've missed out on…"

"I know." Looking to Anzu, almost as if for permission, the Pharaoh smiled when he saw the fond look in her eyes, the approval, the warmth, the love. Tilting his head, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Yuugi's, sharing with him a kiss so sweet he felt lighter than snow. The boy whimpered and kissed back, one hand tangling in the tri-colored hair so like his own, the other seeking out Anzu's hand.

The girl managed to push down the sudden swell of jealousy, recognizing it and knowing how silly it was. She and Yuugi had talked about Atemu several times in the past, and each knew how the other felt about the Pharaoh, and now that he was there with them…well, Anzu was more than happy to share with the Pharaoh everything that she had shared with Yuugi, and it was clear from his response to Atemu that he was willing as well. Squeezing Yuugi's hand, she gently pulled at the both of them, indicating that they shouldn't hang out in the hallway.

Atemu slowly pulled away from the boy's lips, glancing over at Anzu, wondering why she was trying to rip his shirt off. Realizing that she was attempting to drag them towards another room, he smiled and let her lead, looking around at the decorations rather curiously. The walls were filled with pictures, mostly of Yuugi and Anzu, some of their friends, some of their family. He made a mental note to study the photographs after the three of them had managed to catch up.

Not wanting to rush things, Yuugi shot his girlfriend a thankful look, glad that at least one of them was thinking straight. The three sat down on the couch, staying as close together as they could, as if afraid the Pharaoh would vanish the moment they stopped touching him. Tangled up and a little uncomfortable, the three began talking in earnest, Yuugi and Anzu sharing their lives with the Pharaoh, not knowing that he had been watching them since he left.

Atemu felt amazed at how little his friends had changed, no matter what he had seen in the mirror. They were completely and utterly devoted to each other, and now they were opening up their world and including him in their intimate circle, and he knew that, for once, he'd made the right decision.

Returning to Japan had given him back the life he had lost three thousand year ago, and he was determined to make the best of it. Leaning back into the couch, ignoring the jab of an elbow in his spine, the Pharaoh sighed and felt content for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Eventually, there were no words left to say, no stories left to tell, and the three went silent, simply enjoying one another's company. Anzu shifted, growing oddly anxious, and Atemu looked over at her, smiling softly and nuzzling her cheek. She went still, almost ashamed at how her pulse raced at his touch – just like Yuugi's, so soft and gentle and caring – and she pressed closer to him, still keeping a firm grip on Yuugi's hand.

"I am so glad you came back," Yuugi murmured, watching the two of them happily.

"I am too, aibou. I have wanted to be with you for a long time now…" Nuzzling Anzu's cheek again, he tilted her head ever so slightly, brushing his lips across hers. That was all it took, and he suddenly had an armful of Anzu, the girl planted firmly in his lap, straddling him. Years of pent up emotions concerning the Pharaoh erupted from her at once, and it was all she could do to remain relatively still in his lap, soaking up his warmth and his scent and gripping Yuugi's hand like a lifeline.

Anzu squirmed a little, and lust uncoiled from Atemu's belly, spreading through his body like fire, and he realized he hadn't had a woman – or a man – since he had been Pharaoh. Groaning very softly, feeling his body respond to the slight friction, he pressed his lips against hers a little harder, trying to convey his need.

Yuugi, feeling content to watch but not wanting to be left out, leaned close and slipped his fingers beneath the thin linen of Atemu's shirt, fingers sliding over the tanned skin and tracing paths of fire. Fingertips brushed over the Pharaoh's nipple, causing him to groan again and arch his back, pressing against both Yuugi and Anzu. Not used to being assaulted by sensations from so many different directions, Atemu did the only thing he could think of doing.

He dragged the both of them into their bedroom, not even thinking about how surprised they would be that he knew which room was which. Centuries of pent up frustration, locked up emotions and heavily guarded desires, burst to the surface, clamoring for attention and causing a familiar, steady ache to press against his clothing, clawing for release. Feeling more desperate than he'd ever felt, he barely registered the flurry of motion, the scattering of clothing and the feel of bare skin brushing against bare skin. Focusing on the sights and sounds and sensations, the way Yuugi gasped so loudly and arched against him, the feel of Anzu's hands on his body, the Pharaoh lost himself in the moment, praying that he would experience many more like it in the years to come.

Fingers wrapped around him, guiding him into a warm entrance, and for the next few hours, the great once-Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt stopped thinking.

The early morning sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the world in soft light, stubbornly leaking through the bedroom window to play over the bodies of the three entwined figures, lost in their little world of limbs and intimacy and love. Atemu opened his eyes slowly as the sun warmed his skin, glancing over at Yuugi and Anzu and smiling, feeling content.

It was as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Even in that in-between place, caught between two worlds, watching one while ignoring another, he had felt the weight of his position, his duty and his ties to the realm of the living. Now, tangled in warm arms and the after effects of their frenzied lovemaking, he felt the shackles fall away, disintegrating in the light of a new day.


End file.
